Pair of crooked innings hurt Ballers in Thursday loss
Allgeyer homers, drives in four but Ballers drop series
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 8 | 0 |
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2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 0 |
OAKLAND, CA – The Oakland Ballers dropped their second consecutive series in a 9-5 loss to the Long Beach Coast on Thursday night at Raimondi Park.
After scoring five in the first inning on Wednesday, Oakland (3-6) continued its first inning firepower and opened the scoring four batters in. Jake Allgeyer extended his hit streak to five games with a two-run double to left-center.
However, Long Beach (6-3) answered with six runs in the second against starting right-hander Charlie Hurley (L, 0-1). A bases-loaded walk drawn by Emilio Corona and an RBI infield single from Eddy Pelc tied the score before a grand slam from Matthew Bardowell gave the Coast a four-run lead.
After a one-out walk in the fourth, Hurley left the game with an apparent leg injury, prompting an early call to the bullpen. The 24-year-old finished the night with 3.1 innings pitched, allowing six runs on five hits, four walks and one strikeout.
Liam Rocha entered the game and provided crucial shutdown innings against the Coast's potent offense. Despite three walks, he threw 2.2 scoreless innings with five strikeouts behind his mid-90s fastball and sharp slider.
Coast starting right-hander Jack Martin (W, 1-0) twirled the second Long Beach quality start in the last three games. The 23-year-old pitched six innings of two-run ball on five hits, two walks and four strikeouts to earn the victory. He retired 10 of the final 12 Ballers batters to finish the night.
Oakland pulled within a run in the eighth thanks to back-to-back homers from Allgeyer and Cam Bufford. Allgeyer hit a two-run shot to left before Bufford hit an opposite-field homer to right-center, his first of the season, to make it 6-5 Coast.
The Ballers put the tying and go-ahead runs on second and first with two outs but Zach Voelker (S, 1) got T.J. McKenzie to line out to center to end the threat in the eighth.
Long Beach responded with three runs on three hits in the ninth to put the game away and clinch the series victory. Paul Winland singled home a run, Cuba Bess drove in a second run with a sacrifice fly and Corona drew his second bases loaded walk of the game to push the Coast lead back up to four.
Oakland pitching allowed 10 walks and hit two batters on the day.
The Ballers will now begin a three-game home series on Friday night against the RedPocket Mobiles. LHP CJ Blowers will get the start for Oakland. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. Fans can tune in beginning at 6:15 pm on HomeTeam Network and on the Oakland Ballers YouTube Channel.